


Shattered Lamps

by tragicallywicked



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: (a lot), AU, Alternate Universe - 21st Century, Bucky is there too, F/M, Steggy Centric - Freeform, modern time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 00:57:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4459196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tragicallywicked/pseuds/tragicallywicked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"After Howard moves to LA (taking 75% of the household income), Steve and Bucky are forced to find other, higher payer jobs so they aren’t kicked out from their apartment. Eventually they’re forced to place an ad in the newspaper for a roommate. Recently arrived ADA Peggy Carter answers, thinking the original posters are females. It’s quite the shock when she arrives at the apartment and sees that her potential roommates are not females but are, in fact, men."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shattered Lamps

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on several gifts posted by Ellie (naptain on tumblr) placing Steve, Peggy and Bucky as roommates in modern time. I took the liberty of putting some of the 40s characters with them as well because why not, right? Bigger gang, bigger fun. This is a short fic but you have my word it'll be really fun.
> 
> Thank you endlessly, Ellie, for the several conversations and plotting and ideas and discussions to this fic. I hope to live up the expectations.
> 
> Good reading!

**The Apartment**

Complete chaos. The apartment in Upper West Side, in Riverside Drive two blocks away from Broadway, had three bedrooms, two baths and a decent living room that was divided by a counter to a spacious kitchen. When Margaret Carter, an assistant district attorney that had just moved in to New York City this month, saw that ad on the paper, she certainly thought it’d be the perfect place to live. Peggy pictured the two roommates as refined ladies, living a fair life in the big city. She wanted to stop spending money unnecessarily and settle an actual final destination for the truck arriving from DC in four days.

 

Her friend Angie had been enough welcoming to receive Peggy in her place—she hated giving trouble to a single mother managing through work as a waitress and raising her three-year-old child. So she responded the ad and scheduled a to meet the girls—that, to astonish her, turned out to be boys.

 

She sat down at the yellow and white couch, with a classical romantic texture, while the two men tried fixing things around her to give the house a better impression. It wasn’t per say disgusting mess, but the house had pencils and drawings everywhere in the living room. As well as some file cases and work paper. Peggy was pretty sure in normal circumstances she’d have turned her back the moment they opened the door. Not for them being males, Margaret hadn’t ever had a problem with those types of house arrangements, the small mess did bother her though. She stood because the place had potential to be somewhat organized and a welcoming household, because even with the slightly chaotic amount of paper spread around it all seemed to be pretty neat.

 

“I’m sorry, we didn’t think you’d come so early.” The dark-haired one—that Peggy was almost sure to be called Bucky—tried to explain. He looked pretty nonchalantly, calm about the situation, quite opposite to the nervously unquiet blonde one.

 

“We’ve been really wrapped up with work,” he’d say, looking at Peggy briefly while he carried items here and there “I promise you, the house doesn’t get like this often. I just like working in the living room and I forgot this here last night.” For quite a good time, Margaret had nodded and smiled, silently. But at some point their unquietness tired her.

 

“You two, please, _seat down_.” Her voice had been absurdly serious for a person printing such a wide smile. The blond, Steve if she wasn’t wrong, sat first, like an obedient military man. Bucky had chuckled and nodded, stopping but still remaining up. “It’s not a problem the house is a bit of a _mess_.” Honestly, as neat and organized as Margaret Carter was, she expected two men living together could be a little disorganized. “You’re looking for a roommate then. How are the arrangements you’re thinking?”

 

Bucky sat down and started, “The rent here is around $5,650. We share everything to three, including the gas, lights, phone and water bills.” Peggy nodded. “There are three rooms, but when Howard left, I occupied the largest one.”

 

“Hm.” Peggy snapped her lips together with that last statement. “So equal everything but you get the bigger room?” She raised a brow with a tiny grin. Bucky actually laughed as Steve rolled his eyes.

 

“Told him the same thing.” The man stated, running his fingers through his hair and leaning back on the couch. “He wants to impress the beautiful dames he brings in.” Bucky punches his friend’s arm, but doesn’t seem to make much effect except a small flex of his muscle. Peggy just watched with an amused smile on her lips, they looked like two kids for a second.

 

Bucky and Steve had been friends for ages now. They met in elementary school; Bucky was one of those famous kids because of his sporty and social abilities. Basically the entire school worshipped him. His big difference was never being a bully, which was exactly how he and Steve met and bounded. Unlike his best friend, Steve was the skinny, shy and quiet kid that everyone picked on. Bucky stood up for him and Steve would be forever grateful for it, and all the following times he had to do so until high school.

 

Only in their last year that Steve started gaining body, like puberty had reached him delayed, better later than never. It suddenly seemed everyone started liking him, but he always stood true to himself and his friendships, knowing most were just amazed by his appearance. Bucky and Steve went to the same college together as well—even being one year apart, Steve managed to graduate before his friend—the first to psychology and the second to arts school.  And now here they were, still together.

 

Even if Peggy still had no clue of their whole backstory, she could see the deep bound, it was undeniable. It was something that made her comfortable to be around. Margaret had to share apartments before. Being still an _assistant_ District Attorney didn’t gave her money enough to afford all the good life she enjoyed having, at least when it came to home—and clothing. So sharing homes always seemed the best option to manage everything. During the previous experiences, she had gone through some pretty weird situations that involved roommates loathing one another. She felt the situation went the opposite road there, gladly.

 

“Anyways.” Bucky had rolled his eyes, smiling awkwardly at Peggy. “Since you’re unexpectedly a woman… And we’re great gentlemen. I think we could think of something.” The man shrugged, though he had chuckled when she rolled eyes to his remark on her gender. Truth was, Bucky wasn’t going to offer to change rooms, just because he had enough trouble to change there. But he was pretty sure he’d accept the possibility if she asked. Peggy wouldn’t, though.

 

“Mine is the same size as the empty one, but has a nicer view… If you want, we could change and you keep mine.” Steve kindly offered, he knew Bucky too well to understand his last statement meant not offering his by any chances.

 

“That’s quite alright.” Margaret shook her head. “I do believe we could talk on the bathroom though. The ad said there’s two?” They nodded. “I’d like very much to have a bathroom of my own, if that’s okay. I don’t mind the room if the bathroom compensates for it.” She shrugged, after offering that confident suggestion.

 

“Perfect!” Bucky said with that excited smile. “What else you want to know?”

 

“Is there any pets?” She remembered quickly, because she was allergic to some kinds of furred animals.

 

“No, I’m allergic to dogs and Bucky doesn’t like cats.” Steve explained and left a deep sigh. “It’s pretty sad being allergic to dogs, but you know, I had an asthma condition when I was young and we don’t really risk it.”

 

“He almost died one time in second year, when they brought dogs to school to help us chill during exam week.” The memory made both chuckle, though Steve was slightly blushing and shaking his head.

 

“Do you two know for very long?” Peggy asked.

 

“Since kindergarten.” Steve cleared, smiling. “I’ve been annoyed by this jerk for very long time.”

 

“No, no. _I_ have been defending this punk for very long time.” Bucky punched him again and that time Steve faked it to have hurt. Margaret had noticed they were both strong man, but Steve was just _massive_. She was pretty sure he had a routine of exercises to maintain those muscles.

 

“That’s charming.” She played, with a small grin. They observed her amusement; both felt Margaret would be a very welcoming roommate. None needed to say the actual words that to one another to know they got that same good vibe from her.

 

“So where are you from in United Kingdom?” Her accent was undeniably far from the States, but none were good on telling exactly where.

 

“England.” Peggy answered Steve. “I was born in London, lived my whole life there. But moved here after Law school. I was in DC, in fact. I just came to New York a few weeks ago.”

 

“Oh that’s right, what do you do?” Bucky remembered asking. He was absolutely terrible on that roommate thing. They knew all about Howard’s life, there was nothing to ask. Plus, they were the ones being invited to move in when the occasion happened.

 

“I’m an assistant district attorney.” She made a pause when Steve laughed, her brow raising slightly.

 

“I’m sorry…” He apologized for interrupting her. “But Howard cursed us, saying we’d get one fancy roommate like himself. He was our friend that left to Los Angeles.”

 

“I highly doubt I’m _fancy_.” She chuckled, shaking her head.

 

“Well. You’re British.” They said almost in sync and Peggy had to laugh. She shook it off biting her lip and changing the subject.

 

“What about you? What do you do?”

 

“Steve is an artist, but he’s been selling out lately. And I’m working in a psychiatric office, as an assistant.” Bucky said and Peggy gave him a nod, he understood her pain, but it was pretty much miserable at work, different from her. Peggy had just working her ass to get to the top, but she loved her job. “But both of us are actually looking for a better job opportunity.”

 

“I do know my friend, who I’m staying with until I find my place, is dating the owner of an art gallery.” When she said that, Steve almost jumped on his seat, making her chuckle. “I think I could give her your number.” Peggy gave it a second thought, just because she knew Angie would be making all these comments about her roommates being complete hotties. Not that she could hide them both from Angie for very long. And she actually didn’t.

 

After that first encounter they had, about four months ago, settling what had to be settled, Peggy didn’t have any second thoughts on moving to that apartment. In the following week, the two men were kindly helping her and Angie unload everything from the truck coming from Washington—which was when her best friend got to meet the two of them.

 

Peggy wouldn’t ever forget the way the little woman poked her ribs, giving a side smirk when Bucky complimented her appearance and Steve showed for the first time to be an adorable and complete mess when talking girls—Peggy never said that to anyone, but she found it absolutely charming and amusing at the same time.

 

They all got along pretty well, but everything started to change when Peggy and Steve started bounding.


End file.
